We are developing novel approaches to vaccination in order to target some of the worlds more important infectious diseases.

Jefferson Center for Vaccines & Pandemic Preparedness Research
Contact
233 South Tenth Street
Bluemle Life Sciences Building, 531
Philadelphia, PA 19107
Center Information
Vaccine Design, Delivery & Immune Responses
We are developing novel approaches to vaccination in order to target some of the worlds more important infectious diseases.
Faculty Research/Lab Sites & Publications
Names are linked to their respective lab web sites or academic profiles.
David Abraham, PhD
Professor, Department of Microbiology & Immunology
Publications
- A rodent model for Dirofilaria immitis, canine heartworm: parasite growth, development, and drug sensitivity in NSG mice
- Adjuvanted Fusion Protein Vaccine Induces Durable Immunity to Onchocerca volvulus in Mice and Non-Human Primates
- Is Strongyloides stercoralis hyperinfection induced by glucocorticoids a result of both suppressed host immunity and altered parasite genetics?
- Co-Administration of Adjuvanted Recombinant Ov-103 and Ov-RAL-2 Vaccines Confer Protection against Natural Challenge in A Bovine Onchocerca ochengi Infection Model of Human Onchocerciasis
- Development of a Vaccine Against Onchocerca volvulus
Botond Igyarto , PhD
Professor, Department of Microbiology & Immunology
Publications
- Dendritic cells overcome Cre/Lox induced gene deficiency by siphoning cytosolic material from surrounding cells
- The mRNA-LNP vaccines – the good, the bad and the ugly?
- Local IL-23 is required for proliferation and retention of skin-resident memory TH17 cells
- Intracellular monitoring by dendritic cells – a new way to stay informed – from a simple scavenger to an active gatherer
- Pre-exposure to mRNA-LNP inhibits adaptive immune responses and alters innate immune fitness in an inheritable fashion
Drishya Kurup, PhD
Research Instructor, Department of Microbiology & Immunology
Publications
- Inactivated rabies-based Lassa fever virus vaccine candidate LASSARAB protects nonhuman primates from lethal disease
- Toward the Development of a Pan-Lyssavirus Vaccine
- Effects of adjuvants in a rabies-vectored Ebola virus vaccine on protection from surrogate challenge
- Inactivated rabies-vectored SARS-CoV-2 vaccine provides long-term immune response unaffected by vector immunity
- Measles-based Zika vaccine induces long-term immunity and requires NS1 antibodies to protect the female reproductive tract
Adriana Mantegazza, PhD
Assistant Professor, Department of Microbiology & Immunology
Publications
- Examining the Kinetics of Phagocytosis-Coupled Inflammasome Activation in Murine Bone Marrow-Derived Dendritic Cells
- Dissecting Phagosomal Pattern Recognition Receptor-Dependent Signaling and Antigen MHC-II Presentation from Phagosomes in Murine Dendritic Cells
- The phagosomal solute transporter SLC15A4 promotes inflammasome activity via mTORC1 signaling and autophagy restraint in dendritic cells
- A guide to measuring phagosomal dynamics
- Phosphatidylinositol-4-kinase IIα licenses phagosomes for TLR4 signaling and MHC-II presentation in dendritic cells
Carolina R. Melo-Silva, PhD
Instructor, Department of Microbiology & Immunology
Publications
- Innate and adaptive immune responses that control lymph-borne viruses in the draining lymph node
- mRNA-LNP vaccine-induced CD8+ T cells protect mice from lethal SARS-CoV-2 infection in the absence of specific antibodies
- Multiple and Consecutive Genome Editing Using i-GONAD and Breeding Enrichment Facilitates the Production of Genetically Modified Mice
- Resistance To Poxvirus Lethality Does Not Require the Necroptosis Proteins RIPK3 or MLKL
- Design and preclinical evaluation of a universal SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccine
Matthias Schnell, PhD
Chair, Department of Microbiology & Immunology
Dr. V. Watson Pugh & Frances Plimpton Pugh Professor in Microbiology & Immunology
Director, Jefferson Center for Vaccines & Pandemic Preparedness
Publications
- Inactivated rabies-based Lassa fever virus vaccine candidate LASSARAB protects nonhuman primates from lethal disease
- Toward the Development of a Pan-Lyssavirus Vaccine
- The Development of a Rabies Virus-Vectored Vaccine against Borrelia burgdorferi, Targeting BBI39
- GP38 as a vaccine target for Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus
- Effects of adjuvants in a rabies-vectored Ebola virus vaccine on protection from surrogate challenge
Luis Sigal, DMV, PhD
Professor, Department of Microbiology & Immunology
Publications
- The roles of CD4+ T cell help, sex, and dose in the induction of protective CD8+ T cells against a lethal poxvirus by mRNA-LNP vaccines
- Innate and adaptive immune responses that control lymph-borne viruses in the draining lymph node
- mRNA-LNP vaccine-induced CD8+ T cells protect mice from lethal SARS-CoV-2 infection in the absence of specific antibodies
- Dietary L-Tryptophan consumption determines the number of colonic regulatory T cells and susceptibility to colitis via GPR15
- Multiple and Consecutive Genome Editing Using i-GONAD and Breeding Enrichment Facilitates the Production of Genetically Modified Mice
Christopher Snyder, PhD
Associate Professor, Department of Microbiology & Immunology
Publications
- Immune responses drive chorioretinitis and retinal pathology after neonatal CMV infection
- Multiple and Consecutive Genome Editing Using i-GONAD and Breeding Enrichment Facilitates the Production of Genetically Modified Mice
- Mechanisms of antiviral cytotoxic cd4 t cell differentiation
- Inhibitory Molecules PD-1, CD73 and CD39 Are Expressed by CD8+ T Cells in a Tissue-Dependent Manner and Can Inhibit T Cell Responses to Stimulation
- Hematopoietic cell-mediated dissemination of murine cytomegalovirus is regulated by NK cells and immune evasion